New NCAA expatriate: Ladji Kante to join Northern Illinois

Having become a true sporting and financial eldorado, the NCAA has gained new attractiveness among international prospects. The American university league is attracting more and more young players and is hitting French development hard as it loses more and more prospects. The latest expatriate is Ladji Kante (1.93 m, 20 years old), young prospect from Chalon.

Another Chalon academy player leaving

The locally trained player (JFL) joined Elan’s academy in 2021 before playing his first Betclic ELITE game this season. He played for one minute during a blowout (77-103) at Bourg-en-Bresse.

With Chalon’s youth team, the Marseille native, son of former pro Mohamed Kante, has shown great form and now finished the season averaging 14 points with 44.3% shooting, 4.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists in 29 games played this season. Very athletic and versatile, able to play guard positions, he is also one of the leaders of this Elan Chalon youth team that finished the season in ninth place.

While his future seemed set at Chalon, the implementation of NIL changed everything. The Northern Illinois program, playing in NCAA, attracted him. The Huskies finished last in the Mid-American conference in 2024-2025 and hope to strengthen with this international arrival. The player had been scouted by Americans for several months, so his signing with the university program was expected as the season neared its end.

For Chalon, this is another departure overseas after Quentin Diboundje, Kyshawn George and Mathias M’Madi. Nevertheless, Elan retains several quality prospects with Akram Naji (1.93 m, 18 years), Yanis Tonnellier (2.14 m, 21 years) and Noah Badibanga (2.01 m, 18 years).